ConAgra Resumes Making Banquet Pot Pies

The company says environmental tests of its Marshall, Mo., plant have not shown any trace of salmonella since the Oct. 11 recall.

ConAgra said lab tests confirmed salmonella in Banquet turkey pot pies that were produced on July 13 and July 31. Spokeswoman Stephanie Childs said salmonella was not confirmed in any of the other Banquet or private label pot pies the company makes.

The recall included all Banquet pot pies as well as all varieties sold under the store brands Albertson's, Hill Country Fare, Food Lion, Great Value (sold at Wal-Mart stores), Kirkwood, Kroger, Meijer and Western Family.

The pot pies made by ConAgra have been linked to at least 272 cases of salmonella in 35 states. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at least 65 people were hospitalized as part of the outbreak, but no deaths have been reported.

"We are confident we'll be bringing back a safe product for consumers," Childs said.

She said the company did not identify the source of the salmonella in the pot pies, but has implemented new testing procedures at the plant and at its ingredient suppliers that should ensure safety. Childs said she didn't know whether any pot pie ingredients are imported.

Problems with imported foods have been in the spotlight this year because of a string of recalls involving toxic toothpaste, contaminated fish, chemically spiked pet food ingredients and other goods.

ConAgra also revised the cooking instructions on its pot pie packages to clarify how long the pies should be cooked in different microwaves. It recommends using a cooking thermometer to determine if the center of the pot pie has reached 165 degrees.

Cooking to that temperature should kill any common pathogens -- including salmonella.

And Childs said a good sign that the pot pie is done is when steam rises out of it.

The company faces several lawsuits related to the recall, which was the second ConAgra recall this year due to salmonella.

ConAgra said it expects the pot pie recall to cost about $30 million, or 4 cents per share. Childs said more details will be released when the company reports second-quarter earnings Dec. 20.

ConAgra shares rose 1 cent to $23.44 on Wednesday.

Earlier this year, ConAgra recalled all of its peanut butter products when the CDC linked its Peter Pan peanut butter to a salmonella outbreak that eventually sickened at least 625 people in 47 states.

ConAgra Chief Executive Gary Rodkin said he believes the company's recalls this year were isolated problems and aren't representative of the Omaha-based company's safety practices.

"I would like to assure our consumers, customers and investors that the food safety conditions and operating processes throughout our manufacturing network are strong," Rodkin said.

Salmonella poisoning can cause diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain and vomiting. Most cases are caused by undercooked eggs and chicken.

About 40,000 cases are reported each year in the U.S., but the CDC estimates that the actual number of infections may be 30 times higher because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported. Most of the 600 deaths salmonella causes each year are among people with weaker immune systems such as the elderly or very young.

Centers for Disease Control Salmonella updates:

ConAgra Foods Inc.: